There is less than one week before every NFL team has to cut down its roster from 90 players to 53, and this time of year is always a great opportunity to take advantage of the desperation of other teams. The Indianapolis Colts just so happen to have enviable depth at one particular position that seems to be a problem area for a number of contending teams around the NFL.
The Jets, 49ers, Bills, Steelers, and Vikings all appear to be in the market for wide receiver help before the start of the 2025 season, but the Vikings, in particular, could be an ideal trade partner for Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard.
The Vikings are out of conference, they're not on the Colts' schedule, and they have been extremely aggressive in the past under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah at adding talent to the roster.
Colts could trade WR Alec Pierce to desperate Vikings before 2025 season
Alec Pierce might be the ideal trade candidate right now for the Colts if they are interested in trading from their depth and possibly getting something pretty decent in return from a desperate team like the Vikings.
Pierce has produced in his time with the Colts, but he was third on the team in targets over each of the past two seasons, and the Colts have another high draft pick (AD Mitchell) waiting in the wings.
Considering Pierce's outstanding productivity per target, the price to acquire him at this time of year shouldn't be a "buy low" sort of situation. The Colts should get proper value in return, but the addition of tight end Tyler Warren into the mix further muddies the water when it comes to the Colts' overall target share.
This team could more than get by with a core group of Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell, and Tyler Warren leading the way in overall targets. And we know Jonathan Taylor is going to get his as well.
There's no requirement for the Colts to trade Pierce, and there's nothing wrong with having depth. Especially with Daniel Jones winning the starting job, you want him to have every weapon possible because you made that decision with winning as many games as possible in mind, and it came at the expense of Anthony Richardson.
Trading a stud receiver and then struggling with injuries this year would reflect poorly on Chris Ballard.
But the Colts also have to keep the future in mind. The pivot off of Richardson puts QB back on the menu in the 2026 NFL Draft, potentially, so they might need the assets. And the combination of Pierce being on an expiring deal plus the Vikings' desperation could get the Colts a pretty good asset.